Touch interfaces, or touch screens, are now widely used for controlling appliances as varied as computers, mobile phones, etc.
Generally, they comprise a display screen and sensors making it possible to determine the point(s) of contact between the surface of the screen and one or more command objects such as fingers or a stylus.
These touch interfaces frequently use capacitive measurement technologies for detecting the position of the command objects. The screen can be for example covered with a mesh of capacitive electrodes, and the position of the object is detected based on its interactions, in the form of capacitive couplings, with the electrodes.
Touch interfaces also comprise a software element making it possible to interpret the user commands. The display changes according to the position of the command object(s) detected, allowing the user to monitor his actions visually and to select commands.
Gesture interfaces, or 3D interfaces, are also known in which a third dimension is added with the possibility of detecting objects remotely before they touch the surface of the screen. These interfaces are equipped with sensors making it possible to measure the position in space, with respect to the interface, of one or more command objects.
Capacitive measurement technologies are also well adapted to producing this type of interface.
Document FR 2 844 349 by Rozière is known for example, which discloses a capacitive proximity detector comprising a plurality of independent electrodes, making it possible to measure the capacitance and the distance between the electrodes and an object in proximity up to distances of several tens, even hundreds of millimeters. The electrodes can be produced transparently by using for example indium tin oxide (ITO), and deposited on the display screen.
These interfaces equipped with space measurement capabilities open up new possibilities for interaction between the user and the machine, and make it possible to envisage new human-machine interface (HMI) control modes in which distance or depth data would be fully exploited in order to “browse” through the interface software.
Document US 2008/0307360 from Chaudhri et al. is known, which discloses human-machine interface software with a three-dimensional component. However, the three-dimensional aspect is limited to a representation within an environment in which computer objects (icons, files, etc.) have a three-dimensional appearance. The interface control mode, in particular for selecting objects, remains strictly two-dimensional as it is based on the detection of events such as the movement of a mouse cursor in the plane of the interface.
The purpose of the present invention is to propose a method for the selection of commands (or computer objects) in a human-machine interface (HMI) equipped with three-dimensional measurement capabilities, which makes full use of the three-dimensional aspect of the measurements in the interface software.